Folding table.



F. M. BURROWES.

FOLDING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2. i913- Patented Feb. 13,1917.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Bminowiis a citizen of the'United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in folding tables,lthat is,tables in which the legs, when not vin use, are adapted to be folded upagainst the bottom of the table. It is adapted to be used in connectionwith tables having any perilpheral outline, and for the purpose of iustration', I have shown it in connection with ya table having avcircular top. Its structure is such, that,

when desired, the. top of the table may be of comparatively small size,the legs being adpted to extend beyond the centei` of the ta e. f

In the drawing herewith accompanying and making a part of thisapplication, Figure 1 is a bottom plan View; Fig. 2 is a detailsectional view, showing the mechanism for and method of holding the legsin unfolded position; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing therelative position of the legs, one above the other, and the method ofholding the legs yieldingly locked in folded position; Fig. 4 is a planview of the blank for the-spring leg holder; and Fig. 5 is a detail ofthe brace box and a coil spring for preventing accidental folding of theleg.

Same reference characters indicate like parts in the several figures.

In said drawing A represents the top of a table and B a downwardlyextending peripheral flange or skirt. The width o: this flange ispreferably such that when the legs are folded across each other, asshown in Fig. 1, the outside of vthe legs will be substantially in theplane of `.the lower edge of said flange. Secured to the flange atsuitable points are angle irons C, and to the bottom side of the table aplurality of rigid bars D,

ositioned at suitable distances 'a art.

hese bars extend from the inside o the ange to a suitable oint spacedapart'froni the center of the ta le and have theirinner ends beveledoutwardly, as seen at E. Between angle irons C'and bars D, the legs Fare pivotally secured', each being I noun on a pivot pinG. Secured to.the side o each arm D is a plate H 'provided with a 4slot adapted toreceive and guide the off-set end J of a leg holding spring brace K.

ai. Bwns,

romanas Tanna.

Specication ot Letter: Patent.

Application med Iai'ch 12, 1918. Serial No. 758,@52.

rammed Feb. is, i917.

s lot has a curved portion L being substantlally in the arc of a circleof which the fixed end of the brace bar is a center and the remainingportion offset M in adil'erent arc, the purpose of which will be hereinafter describe v p One end of plate H is spaced apart from the side ofbar D by means of a spacing block N a distance suici'ent to permit theoffset end of the brace to move freelyand to enable it to project farenough beyond the plate to prevent it from being accidentally displaced.It is also spaced apart from the leg by means of a spacing block O asucient distance to permityfreemovement of said brace. Secured totheunder side of the table near the center is a plate P provided with adownwardly extending post Q. Upon this post is mounted a spring R,having a 75 plurahty of leaves S whichy are bent downwardlysubstantially as seen' in Fig. 3, said -leaves being positioned so thatthe legs, when folded, press between the leaves and the ends of the barsand are held Iyvieldingly thereby. 80 It will be noted thht t e legswhich fold first against the bottoni f the table and the controllingslotted plate are positioned nearer the bottom of the table than thosewhich fold outside. This is due to the fact that the legs fold, one overthe other, and it willbe evident that this would not be necessary if thelegs extended only to the lcenter of the table. The legs are heldyieldingly in unfolded position eitherbyan inherently elastic springbaror by means of a vcoil spring T, as seen in Fig. 5.

Thel operation of my improved deviceis as follows:l l

Starting with the legs in operative position, the legs which fold nexttothe table are first released by manually movin the free 4end of eachof the brace bars K in its slot outwardly towardthe ed e of the tableyuntil the offset end J reaches t e oiset curve. The legs may now bemoved into folded position,.the oset in the brace bar moving into theoffset curve. When completel folded, the legs are yieldingl engaged anheld between the leaves of t e s rin at the center and the ends of thefixed rs The other legs are then folded in a similar manner. To resetthe table, it is onlynecessary move the free ends of the legs'outwardl1n which position they are held yieldinglg' spring Atension inherentinthe brace ar or .in aspring specially provided therefor.

Having thus described my invention and its use, I claim: Y,

1. In a table, a table top provided with legs pivotally attached to thebottom thereof, plates secured to the underside of the table andprovided with slots having unequally curved sections and spring bracessecured to the legs and terminatingy in olsets adapted to travel in saidcurved slots, whereby the braces are caused to travel automatically fromthe outer to the inner portions of the slots as the legs are unfoldedand to be held yieldingly under tension in unfolded position.

2.' In a table, a top provided with legs pivotally attached thereto, acentral post secured to said table, springs mounted upon said post,radial bars extending outwardly from a point near said post, wherebysaid le s when folded are en aged and ieldinheld between said barsgandsprings. gly

3. In a table, a table to provided with lefgs pivotally attached to tliebottom thereo n lates secured to the bottom of the table v 19eme@ toprovided with slots having upwardly exten ing curved offsets, springbraces having one end secured to the legs and the other ter- Ininatingin an ofset adapted to travel in said slot and springs adaptedautomatically to cause said offsets to travel to the inner ends of saidslots as the legs are unfolded.

4. In a folding table, a top provided with .a downwardly extendingperipheral flange four legs longer than the semi-diameter o `the tablepivotally attached to the bottom of the table at oints diagonallyopposite each other and adiipted to fold against the bottom of the tableoutside the center thereof, a post located at thecenter of Athe tableand providedwith four s rings, said springs being adapted to yielingly"engage the legs

